ISRAEL: Israel's centrist party candidates cast ballots in a close race for opposition leadership

Record ID: 345028

  • Title: ISRAEL: Israel's centrist party candidates cast ballots in a close race for opposition leadership
  • Date: 28th March 2012
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (FILE MARCH 2003) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) FORMER PRIME MINISTER ARIEL SHARON HANDING OVER ABSORPTION MINISTRY TO TZIPI LIVNI CLOSE OF LIVNI
  • Embargoed: 12th April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel, Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8N6DR6ISR8TXY5E9PR73E1UW5
  • Story Text: Israel's former foreign minister Tzipi Livni was fighting on Tuesday (March 27) to keep her job as head of the country's biggest opposition party, in a hotly contested leadership vote.
    "It's (a choice) between two different "Kadimas", a Kadima under my leadership which is an alternative to leading a government, a big strong party with ideology which can represent the underrepresented public today in the State of Israel - those Israelis who contribute, who serve, who want to live and raise their children here. Or, a small Kadima - a fig leaf for the government that wants government seats no matter what the price is," Livni told reporters after casting her ballot in Tel Aviv.
    Opinion polls predict a close race between Livni and ex-defence chief Shaul Mofaz among the Kadima party's 100,000 eligible voters charged with choosing a candidate to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a national poll expected by next year.
    Livni, 53, a native of Israel's business hub of Tel Aviv, edged out Iranian-born Mofaz, 63, in the last party primary in 2008.
    However, recent polls show neither Kadima candidate is likely to defeat Netanyahu in the next election.
    "I want to tell the citizens of Israel that we deserve a state with social order, with a changed system of governance, with equality in carrying the burden and with strong steps intended to achieve peace in our area," Mofaz promised after casting his vote.
    Though it remains the country's biggest opposition party, opinion polls show Kadima is on course to lose more than half its seats in Israel's 120-member parliament and could end up with just 12 seats, down from 28 now.
    Kadima's decline reflects a shift to the right by an Israeli electorate worried by Iran's nuclear programme, and sceptical of renewing peace talks with the Palestinians anytime soon.
    Party rivals and pundits say Livni failed to lead a robust opposition against Netanyahu's pro-settler policies or build on a wave of mass protests last summer against housing and food price rises. Despite his background as former military chief and tough defence minister, Mofaz has backed peace talks with the Palestinians and appears to be just as ready as Livni to find a compromise.
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